Surf Camps, Caribbean Sportfishing, River Rafting Offered by the Hodel Brother's 'Tico Travel'

Specials include Witch's Rock Surf Camp, Caribbean Tarpon and Snook Adventure, Overnight Rafting on Pacuare River

COSTA RICA -- Whether you want to learn to surf the Pacific for the first time, go deep sea fishing along either coast of Costa Rica or white water rafting in the rain forest of Central America, a 10-year-old Florida firm is making it happen for a growing number of tourists from the U.S., Canada and other parts of the globe.

Little known but heavy on the offerings, Tico Travel features more than 50 different tours, packages and day trips to tourists looking for the more adventurous in a vacation or weekend getaway. The company, which has offices in Florida and in Costa Rica, also offers cut-rate deals on airfares to Central America and owns www.centralamerica.com, the largest online travel agency in the world specializing in Central America tourism. Current round trip airfare specials to San Jose, Costa Rica being offered by Tico Travel run as low as $188 from Miami or $218 from Orlando.

In addition to the many specials for surfing, fishing and rafting tours the company offers - and it can take an hour to review all the packages outlined on their website at www.ticotravel.com - there are day tours, eco tours and even tours for people who may want to retire in Costa Rica. If that isn't enough, the company also is one of the few Travel Service Providers authorized by the U.S. Government to offer tours to Cuba. Tico Travel also is looking to expand into Nicaragua.

But what sets Tico Travel apart is its growing reputation as a leader in the "elegant adventure" business, according to owner Rob Hodel, as quality accommodations are chosen for each package. Rob Hodel spends nine months a year in Central America making sure hotels and resorts meet his standards.

"We want to be sure the customer has a good experience,” he said. “If we send them some place we've never been to, how do we know that they will enjoy it? So we check it out, not just once, but go back as well - even making spot checks and unannounced visits - to make sure the customer is treated right.”

Unlike a website offering packages, Tico Travel is a licensed, bonded, and insured wholesale travel provider with a full-time, bilingual staff of employees on the ground in both Florida and Costa Rica. They can be reached at 800-493-8426, Monday through Friday (9-6 p.m.) and Saturday (10-2 p.m.). The company also is open seven days a week in San Jose, Costa Rica.


Owned and operated since 1992 by brothers Rob and Steven Hodel, the firm arranges it all - and down to the last detail. From the meals to the rooms to the type of fishing equipment and surfboards used, they are involved in the planning of each package. Although many packages are quoted without airfare, as a full service travel agency the firm can book airfare as well, having negotiated reduced rates with a number of airlines, including a recent agreement with American Airlines.
While Rob spends much of the year in Costa Rica, Steve spends more time running their U.S. operation in Fort Lauderdale. Together, the brothers complement each other.

"I love living out of a suitcase traveling up and down Central America," said Rob. "It's a crazy life, and sometimes dangerous, but I could not work in an office. Steve, however, has the discipline to run two companies in two different parts of the world and in three different languages, a charter fishing business in Quepos, real estate in Nicaragua and over 24 employees. All I have to do is keep an eye on my passport and figure out which facility I will be visiting next."

Steve Hodel is the CFO and the "sharp pencil" of the partnership, developing the aggressive, economical pricing structure that has made Tico Travel known throughout the region and often the choice for the frequent traveler to Costa Rica and Latin America.

"When Rob and I started this business, we could not believe the mark up the big agencies were charging their customers," said Steve. "So we offer better rates. This did not make us very popular with our competitors, but without a great price who is going to try your service? It worked and we have made this the basis of our business model to this day."

The pair also is involved in a new luxury hotel being built in Arenal with the developers of Costa Rica's number one attraction, La Paz Waterfall Garden's and owner Lee Banks.

Surfing the Pacific


This year, Tico Travel will offer more than 10 different surfing packages in Costa Rica, two of which are new, including a 7-day Surf Adventure for Women program that includes daily instruction, yoga lessons, meals, snorkeling and a massage starting at $1,200, plus airfare. See more at www.ticotravel.com/surfing/witchs.htm. A surfing tour that is new for the company is a four-day package at Crocodile Bay, a popular large eco-tourism resort. The package offered by Tico Travel includes a boat, transportation starting at $1,495. See more at Surf Pavones/Matapalo or www.ticotravel.com/hotels/bosque.htmwww.ticotravel.com/hotels/bosque.html, a great new hotel the company just added to their list. Other Surfing packages offered include Budget beach break; Wings and Wheels; Tamarindo Surf Special; Witches Rock Surf Camp; Surf the Backyard; Endless Summer Surf Special; Surfer Special Super Sale!!; Superior Surf Package; Tamarindo-Hermosa Special; Hermosa-Dominical Adventure.

Fishing Both Coasts of Costa Rica

Tico Travel also offers more than 15 fishing adventures - on either coast of Costa Rica - that feature swordfish, sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo sportfishing on the Pacific coast and tarpon and snook fishing on the Caribbean. A current special is the 'Caribbean Tarpon and Snook Adventure' for four to seven days with lodging at the Casa Mar Lodge, located on the northeast Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The package includes all transportation, fishing equipment, meals, drinks and even laundry service while staying at the resort and fishing each day and runs from $1,325 to $3,550 depending on how many days you stay or which plan you choose. Airfare is extra, but again, Tico makes all the arrangements and at a considerable discount.

Another special currently being featured by the company is the Pacific Offshore Billfish Package - 4 or 5 days of fishing on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. More info on this new tour is available at www.ticotravel.com/fishing/special.htm. Other fishing charters include Quepos Charters: The Swordfish Sportfishing 31' Gamerfisherman; Big Eye Sportfishing 31’ Jersey custom yacht; Caribsea Sportfishing 46' Guthrie Flybridge Sportfisher, also up to four people; Luna Tours Sportfishing Ojaran II - 27' custom sportfisher / Ojaran III - 32' custom sportfisher ; The Unique Sportfishing 33’ custom sportfisher. At the new Los Suenos Marina, Tico Travel’s charters include Bobcat and Spanish Fly Bobcat 32' Blackfin - Spanish Fly 42' custom. One customer has rebooked THREE times in 90 days just to go back and fish on the new Spanish Fly, Rob Hodel said. And, the company's Northern Pacific Charters in Tamarindo include Capullo Sportfishing 36' Topaz Sportfisher and 22' Boston Whalers and Osprey Sportfishing 31’ Rampage.

Rafting in the Rain Forest May to December

Rafting is another part of Tico Travel's lineup. The firm works with RĂ­os Tropicales, created in 1985 and now the largest white water rafting and sea kayaking outfitter in Latin America.

A new program features a trip on the Pacuare River that includes diverse routes into the jungle with river crossings, waterfalls, natural slides, intimate pools, primary forest and bird watching. The group’s leaders wrote the book "The Rivers of Costa Rica" and participated in Olympic games, and several rafting and kayaking World Championships. One day and multi-day tours are offered, including Reventazon River Class III, Pacuare River 2 or 3 Days, Pure White Water Rafting 4 Days and Pacuare River Class III-IV. More info on the rafting can be found at www.ticotravel.com/tours/rafting.htm.

Started in 1992

Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Rob and his brother Steve started the company in 1992 after Rob, who had studied law and was planning to become a lawyer, changed career paths. "We follow the mantra that if do what you like and do, it will be successful," he said. Rob Hodel now spends nine months a year traveling throughout Central America visiting and revisiting exotic hotels and destinations as a "walk-in guest" in order to get insights into their ability to serve Tico Travel participants.

Rob Hodel, who has hosted fishing shows seen on ESPN and the Outdoor Channel, speaks and writes fluent Spanish and is a saltwater fly fishing expert, having participated and placed in a number of top fishing tournaments. He also is founder of The Costa Rica Classic International Billfish Tournament (A Rolex/IGFA sanctioned event), which benefits the Boomer Esaison Foundation. He has fished in Suriname, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Belize, Mexico, Nicaragua, and throughout the United States, and also is a recognized expert on the region and consultant for most major guidebooks, newspapers, and travel magazines.

Tico Travel began as a tour operator specializing in Costa Rica, adding services over the years, including airline ticketing and receptive tour operations. In 1995, the company formed a separate internet-based division, www.centralamerica.com, specializing in Central America tourism. Tico Travel has offices in Fort Lauderdale and San Jose, Costa Rica and employs more than 24 travel representatives. The company presently has wholesale agreements with American Airlines, Iberia Airlines, Grupo Taca, Martin Air, and currently operates on the Sabre system.

Tico Travel is also one of the largest surfing tour operators in the United States and recently sponsored the complete revision of Surfer Magazine's travel surf directories for all of Central America. In addition, Tico Travel is initiating operations in Nicaragua. The company has purchased several colonial-era properties in the city of Granada with plans for a booking office and possibly a small inn to support clients purchasing surfing and soft adventure packages.

"Nicaragua surfing is on fire right now,” said Steve Hodel. “It is where all our customers want to go now." For more information, go to www.ticotravel.com or call (800) 493-8426.

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